Quick Program Snapshot — Where We Start

• To get us started, what stage is your drilling program currently in? Options: Pre-AFE planning, AFE approved, seeking rigs, AFE conditional (pending approvals), Sourcing to replace incumbent, Emergency replacement, Other
• How many wells and pads are you planning over the next 6–12 months?
• What's your current target spud-by window for the next well(s)? Options: This month, 30–60 days, 60–90 days, 3–6 months, 6+ months
• Which basin(s) are these wells in? Options: Permian, Eagle Ford, Bakken, Other
• Who on your team should we consider part of this discussion (names/roles for drilling, ops, supply chain, finance)?
• Do you have an incumbent contractor named for these pads, and if so what would prompt you to switch?

What’s Keeping the Clock Ticking? The Pressure Behind This Program

• If your next spud slips, what cascade of problems do you expect across schedule, budget, or regulatory milestones?
• Which of these consequences would be most urgent to resolve? Options: Capital reallocation / AFE blowout, Lease penalty or abandonment risk, Sequencing delays across pad, Regulatory/permit impact, Reputation with JV partners, Other
• How would a day of NPT at $50k+ per hour show up in your reporting or incentives (who sees it and what action typically follows)?
• How long can your program tolerate unexpected NPT before it forces a commercial or operational decision? Options: <24 hours, 1–3 days, 4–7 days, >7 days, Depends on severity
• Tell us about the last time a rig underperformed on one of your pads—what went wrong, and who owned the recovery?

Who Holds the Keys (and Who Gets Asked to Explain It)?

• If this project goes off the rails, who will be asked to explain it to the board or JV partners?
• List the people and roles who must sign off on rig selection, contract terms, and mobilization.
• Which group controls the dayrate vs footage decision for you? Options: Drilling operations, Supply chain / procurement, VP operations, Finance, Joint venture partners, Other
• What commercial terms are deal-breakers for your team (e.g., certain liability clauses, KPI thresholds, demobilization rules)?
• How do your internal approval timelines typically map to AFE windows? Options: Faster than AFE, Aligned with AFE, Slower than AFE, Variable
• Who will be the day-to-day point of contact from your side during mobilization and drilling?

Define Win — What Would Make You Call This a Clear Success?

• Beyond moving a date on the schedule, what would make you call this engagement a strategic win for your organization?
• Which performance measures are non-negotiable for you? Options: TRIR (safety), Offset-well ROP/consistency, Total NPT threshold, Time-to-spud vs AFE, Well cost vs AFE, Number of successful walks per pad
• What TRIR target would you need to see to consider a contractor top-quartile? Options: 0, 0.1–0.5, 0.6–1.0, 1.0–2.0, Unsure
• What average NPT per well (hours or $) do your economics consider acceptable?
• How much earlier than the AFE timeline would count as a meaningful operational improvement to your stakeholders? Options: Same as AFE, 1–3 days earlier, 4–7 days earlier, 1+ week earlier, Not a priority
• Describe any secondary success signals that matter—crew continuity, reporting cadence, or real‑time visibility—what do you care about most?

Offset Wells Tell a Story — Share Yours

• What single pattern in your offset wells makes you doubt the incumbent's ability to deliver on time and on budget?
• Do you have offset-well data available we can model (e.g., ROP, connection times, NPT events, mud logs)? Options: Yes — full data set, Yes — summary data, Partially, No
• When offsets struggled, what were the top root causes you've observed? Options: Hole instability / caving, Equipment failure (top drive, pumps), Connection/NPT events, Crew unfamiliar with automation, Unexpected formation pressures, Logistics / rig moves
• How closely does your team analyze offset connection times and the potential gains from automation? Options: Constantly — daily/weekly KPIs, Regularly — weekly/monthly, Occasionally, Rarely/never
• If we modeled a faster connection strategy, which metric would you most want improved? Options: Time-to-spud, Cost per lateral (footage), Average ROP, Number of NPT incidents, Safety incidents
• Share an example of an offset well performance that surprised you—what happened and what was the operational or commercial fallout?

Rig Fit — Not All Rigs Are Equal (Match or Mis‑Match)

• If you had to bet your schedule on a single equipment or capability, which one would you insist on and why?
• Select the rig capabilities that are mandatory for your program. Options: Walking rig capability, Automated pipe handling, Top drive rated for target torque, SCR/AC electric drive, 1500 HP unit, 3000 HP unit, Real-time rig-state monitoring
• Do pad constraints (headspace, access roads, contiguous vs non-contiguous pads) affect your rig choice? Options: Yes — headspace issues, Yes — access/road limitations, Yes — pad size limits, No significant constraints, Other
• What crew composition or supervision model do you require during ramp-up and steady-state (automation trainer, third-party supervisors, shift patterns)? Options: Standard crew, Dedicated automation trainer, Third-party drilling supervisor, Shift overlap during ramp-up, Other
• Which spare-part, maintenance, or uptime guarantees would you expect included prior to mobilization?
• How important is rig-walk speed to your scheduling assumptions for multi‑well pads? Options: Critical — must be hours, Important — days acceptable, Nice-to-have, Not required

Money, Contracts, and the Hidden Costs

• What's the one commercial clause that has sunk a deal for you in the past?
• Which commercial model do you prefer for this program? Options: Dayrate, Footage (per foot), Hybrid (dayrate + performance incentives), Time & materials, Other
• Are there particular contract clauses you cannot accept (e.g., unilateral demobilization, unlimited liability, certain indemnities)?
• What mobilization window and cost exposure are acceptable to your finance team? Options: Firm window with supplier liability, Firm window with shared cost, Flexible window with cost cap, Unsure
• How does your team usually handle risk contingencies—do you budget them internally or require contractor guarantees? Options: Budget contingencies internally, Require contractor guarantees, Split risk, Case-by-case
• Have you used performance-based incentives (bonuses/penalties tied to NPT or spud timing) before? What worked or didn’t?

Barriers to Change — What’s Stopping You from Switching Now?

• If you were to say 'no' to a better-performing rig today, what would be the real reason behind that decision?
• Which internal obstacles slow or block contractor changes in your organization? Options: Long procurement cycles, Stakeholder resistance, Historical relationships, Contractual break clauses, Budget rigidity, Other
• How concerned are you about operational disruption when integrating automated drilling systems? Options: Very concerned, Somewhat concerned, Neutral, Not concerned
• What evidence, testing, or guarantees would meaningfully reduce those concerns?
• How much time and how many wells of a trial would you require before accepting a new crew/rig as fully qualified? Options: Single trial well, Two–three well trial, Pilot pad program, Full season before acceptance, Other

Ready Signals — What Would Make You Pick Up the Phone?

• What's the smallest commitment or proof that would move you from interest to a live booking with a new contractor?
• Which of these would most increase your confidence in a new contractor? Options: Detailed offset model with projections, Site visit and walk-down, Crew CVs & training records, Third‑party safety audit, Guaranteed mobilization date, Other
• What documentation and data do you need to evaluate us (HSE records, offset well logs, equipment specs, maintenance histories)?
• What is your decision timeline and which critical dates must we hit to be considered? Options: Immediate — within 2 weeks, 30 days, 60–90 days, 3–6 months, Dependent on AFE approval
• Who needs to be present for a commercial handoff or kickoff meeting from your side?
• Are there logistical or approval constraints we should know now (security clearance, pad access windows, JV approvals, permit timing)? Options: Security/clearance required, Pad access windows, JV approval needed, Permit timing constraints, No major constraints, Other

• Data Intake & Current-State Confirmation
• Offset-Well Performance Modeling Workshop
• Schedule Optimization & Mobilization Tradeoffs
• Live Simulation: Scenario Walkthrough & Validation
• Executive Review & Alignment (Go/No-Go to Scope)

• Demonstrate proof that the proposed solution achieves the future-state metrics using the customer's own data.
• Identify items requiring follow-up (data clarifications or alternate scenarios) before executive review.
• Host: Deliver full model workbook and a one-page comparison (baseline vs solution) within 48 hours.
• Customer: Confirm or correct model assumptions (crew levels, permissible walk windows, cost-per-day) within 3 business days.
• Host: Produce sensitivity summary showing ranges of expected gains under conservative and aggressive assumptions.
• Customer & Host: Agree on one or two prioritized scenarios to carry forward into schedule optimization.
• One-Sentence Future State & Acceptance Criteria
• Select a preferred mobilization schedule that balances earlier spuds against cost and risk.
• Define explicit contingency triggers and assign owners for each critical milestone.
• Produce a short list of adjustments required to meet acceptance criteria in the chosen scenario.
• Customer: Confirm hard spud-by dates and site-prep completion windows for the chosen plan.
• Host: Produce an executable mobilization plan with assigned owners and a visual timeline within 48 hours.
• Host: Document contingency triggers and draft an escalation path for schedule deviations.
• Recap of Confirmed Current & Future State
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Force and capture explicit customer validation on each major outcome and assumption.
• Agree final acceptance criteria that will be referenced in the Solution Scope and Commercial stages.
• Host: Share recorded simulation outputs, scenario decks, and a one-page validation checklist within 24 hours.
• Customer: Provide formal written validation or a list of required adjustments to acceptance criteria within 3 business days.
• Host & Customer: If adjustments required, schedule a targeted follow-up to re-run affected scenarios.
• One-Sentence Diagnosis, Consequence & Future State
• Obtain executive alignment and explicit go/no-go decision to proceed to Solution Scope/Commercial negotiation.
• Ensure executives understand quantified benefits, key risks, and acceptance criteria that will drive commercial terms.
• Confirm timeline and owners for the next-stage kickoff.
• Host: Produce a one-page executive summary (diagnosis, consequence, future-state, recommended mobilization option) and circulate immediately after the meeting.
• Customer Executive: Provide formal go/no-go decision and any strategic constraints for commercial negotiation within 2 business days.
• Host & Customer: Schedule Solution Scope kickoff meeting and assign commercial and operations leads.
• Achieve a crystal-clear, one-sentence current-state statement agreed by all attendees.
• Explicitly quantify the primary consequences (time, cost, safety) from the customer's current performance.
• Identify and assign responsibility for any missing data or clarifications required for modeling.
• Agree on schedule constraints and critical dates to be respected in all subsequent analyses.
• Customer: Upload full set of offset-well logs and NPT event details (standardized spreadsheet) within 48 hours.
• Customer: Confirm final list of schedule constraints and hard spud-by dates in writing.
• Host: Produce a one-page readback of the agreed current-state sentence and consequence calculation.
• Host: Prepare initial modeling assumptions document (equipment, crew, automation effects) for review at the modeling workshop.
• Recap: Current State, Consequence, Future-State One-Sentence
• Produce validated, reproducible model outputs showing quantified improvements in spud timing, NPT, and safety tied to customer's data.
• Agree on and document model assumptions and sensitivity bounds so the customer accepts the model as a faithful reflection of reality.
• Surface and quantify the monetary and schedule consequences of adopting the proposed solution versus baseline.
• Readback: One-Sentence Current State
• Modeling Methodology & Assumptions
• Top-Level Quantified Benefits
• Run Baseline Scenario
• Review Preferred Model Scenarios
• Run Solution Scenario (Live)
• Mobilization Options & Tradeoffs
• Data Review — Offset Wells
• Risks, Mitigations & Contingencies
• Baseline Run (Customer Offset Data)
• Decision & Next Steps
• Schedule Constraints & Critical Dates
• Contingencies & Go/No-Go Triggers
• Solution Run (Walking AC + Automation)
• Step-by-Step Problem Tiebacks
• Owners, Milestones & Communication Cadence
• Consequence Framing (Quantify Impact)
• Validation & Forced Confirmation
• Sensitivity & Scenario Analysis
• Q&A / Final Clarifications
• Decision & Next Steps

• Deploy AC-drive walking rig with full drilling crew
• Mobilize rig and rig-up at pad location
• Walk rig between pad locations
• Drill surface hole to casing/conductor depth
• Drill to target total depth (vertical/directional/horizontal)
• Run and cement casing strings
• Operate automated pipe-handling and makeup connections
• Provide real-time rig-state telemetry and monitoring
• Perform mud system management and solids control
• Conduct routine onsite rig maintenance and repairs
• Provide 24/7 drilling supervision and HSE oversight
• Execute well control and BOP operations
• Manage tubulars inventory and handling on-site

Deploy AC-drive walking rig with full drilling crew

• Which rig horsepower specification do you require for this program? Options: 1500 HP, 3000 HP, Other (describe)
• What is the target mobilization/start date or mobilization window?
• What crew complement model do you prefer? Options: Standard crew (day shifts), 24/7 rotating crew, Augmented crew (extra roustabouts/derrickhands), Other
• Which specialized personnel must be included in the crew composition? Options: Directional Driller, Automation/Control Technician, Senior Drilling Supervisor, Additional HSE Advisor, None of the above
• Are there minimum certification or experience requirements for crew members (years of experience, certifications)?
• Are local hiring, union, or permit constraints that affect crew composition or arrival timing? Options: Yes, No

Mobilize rig and rig-up at pad location

• Describe access and road conditions to the pad (select best match). Options: Good all-weather access, Seasonal restrictions/soft soils, Requires upgrades (bridges/road work), Helicopter/airlift only
• Provide pad dimensions and bearing capacity or upload/describe site plan constraints.
• What permits or local authority approvals are required prior to rig-up? Options: None, Local road/traffic permit, Environmental permit, Other (describe)
• What is the expected mobilization duration (time from arrival to rig-up complete)? Options: <3 days, 3-7 days, 8-14 days, >14 days
• Are there crane, staging, or lifting restrictions at the pad (weight limits, no-crane zones)? Options: Yes, No
• What on-site utilities or services are available on arrival (power, water, fuel, laydown area)? Options: Full utilities available, Limited (water or power only), None – contractor must supply

Walk rig between pad locations

• What is the typical distance between pad locations where the rig will walk? Options: <100 m, 100-500 m, 500 m - 2 km, >2 km
• How many rig walks are planned for the campaign or program? Options: 1-3, 4-10, 11-20, 20+
• Are road, berm, or lease improvements required to enable walking operations? Options: Yes, No
• Are there lease boundary, easement, or landowner constraints we must coordinate for walks? Options: Yes, No
• What is the maximum acceptable downtime per walk (time rig must be offline during a walk)? Options: <2 hours, 2-6 hours, 6-12 hours, 12+ hours
• Are there environmental restrictions or permitting/notification requirements tied to walking activity? Options: Yes, No

Drill surface hole to casing/conductor depth

• What is the planned surface/conductor depth and casing size to be set?
• What surface formation conditions are expected (competent, caving, shallow gas/overpressure, unknown)? Options: Competent, Caving, Shallow gas/overpressure, Unknown
• Which mud system is required for the surface section? Options: Water-based mud (WBM), Oil-based mud (OBM), Synthetic-based mud (SBM), Other (specify)
• Who will supply surface casing and conductor (operator, contractor, third-party)? Options: Operator, Contractor, Third-party vendor
• What are the acceptance criteria for surface casing and cementing (pressure test, cement returns, WOC time)? Options: Pressure test, Cement returns/visual, WOC time, Cement bond log (CBL), Other
• Are there environmental or abandonment requirements that affect conductor/surface operations?

Drill to target total depth (vertical/directional/horizontal)

• Which well types are included in the program? Options: Vertical, Directional, Horizontal
• What is the target total depth(s) and expected trajectory complexity (multi-lateral, build/drop rates)?
• Do you have offset-well performance data and formation characterization to share? Options: Yes, No
• Are automated drilling features required (auto-steering, auto-drilling modes, torque/drag optimization)? Options: Yes, No
• What time-to-spud / time-to-TD KPIs should we target for scope sizing? Options: <10 days, 10-20 days, 20-30 days, >30 days
• Are there special downhole tool, BHA, or MWD/LWD inventory requirements?

Run and cement casing strings

• List planned casing strings, sizes, and depths for the well program.
• Which cementing services and acceptance tests are required? Options: Top plug, WOC time, Cement bond log (CBL), Pressure test, Other
• Who will supply casing and cement slurry (operator, contractor, third-party)? Options: Operator, Contractor, Third-party vendor
• Are staged cementing, lost-circulation materials, or special additives expected or required? Options: Yes, No
• What level of supervision or third-party QA is required during casing running and cementing? Options: Dedicated cement supervisor, Standard drilling supervision, Third-party QA inspector
• Are there contingency plans for lost circulation, channeling, or remedial cement jobs?

Operate automated pipe-handling and makeup connections

• Will automated pipe-handling and makeup equipment be used for all connections? Options: Yes, No, Partial (specify intervals)
• What are the required makeup torque/specs and inspection protocols for connections?
• What target reduction in connection time vs legacy operations should be achieved? Options: <10%, 10-25%, 25-50%, >50%
• Will the operator perform independent QA/QC inspection of connections? Options: Yes, No
• Are premium connections or special threading/pup joints required? Options: Yes, No
• Are there SOPs or client-specific joint handling procedures that must be followed? Options: Yes, No

Provide real-time rig-state telemetry and monitoring

• Which rig-state and drilling telemetry metrics must be delivered in real time? Options: Rig state (drill/standby/rotate), Hookload, ROP, Torque/drag, Pump strokes/pressure, All of the above
• Preferred delivery method for telemetry and dashboards? Options: API data feed, Cloud dashboard access, Email/SMS alerts, SCADA/PLC integration
• What data sampling frequency is required for critical signals? Options: Real-time (<1s), 5 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes
• Who will own data ingestion, storage, and analytics (operator, contractor, joint)? Options: Operator, Contractor, Joint team
• Are there cybersecurity, access control, or data-use restrictions we must enforce? Options: Yes, No
• Define required alert thresholds and escalation rules for telemetry exceptions.

Perform mud system management and solids control

• Which primary mud system will be used for the program? Options: Water-based mud (WBM), Oil-based mud (OBM), Synthetic-based mud (SBM), Other (specify)
• Who will supply mud chemicals, disposal services, and waste management? Options: Operator, Contractor, Third-party vendor
• What solids-control equipment must be on-site (shakers, centrifuge, desander, desilter)? Options: Shale shakers, Centrifuge, Desander/Desilter, All of the above
• What are acceptance limits for mud properties (solids %, viscosity, density)?
• Are there regulatory, disposal, or pitlining requirements for cuttings and waste? Options: Yes, No
• Describe expected circulation rates, dynamic volumes, and any retention/storage needs.

Conduct routine onsite rig maintenance and repairs

• What planned maintenance cadence do you require (daily checks, weekly PMs, monthly overhauls)? Options: Daily checks, Weekly PMs, Monthly overhauls, As-needed/breakdown
• Provide a list or description of critical spares that must be staged on-site.
• Will the operator supply additional maintenance personnel or technical specialists onsite? Options: Yes, No
• Is on-site fabrication, welding, or machine-shop capability required for rapid repairs? Options: Yes, No
• What is the acceptable mean time to repair (MTTR) for critical systems?
• What reporting cadence do you require for maintenance logs and PM status? Options: Daily, Weekly, On major events only

• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Commercial Term Sheet
• Rate & Fee Schedule
• Mobilization & Demobilization Agreement
• Site Readiness & Owner Responsibilities
• Performance KPIs & Incentive/Penalty Schedule
• Risk Allocation & Contingency Clauses
• Insurance, Indemnity & Liability
• Spare Parts, Maintenance & Warranty Agreement
• Data Sharing & Real-Time Monitoring Rights
• Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) Addendum
• Change Order & Scope Variation Procedure
• Payment Terms, Invoicing & Financial Assurance
• Acceptance Certificate & Operational Handover
• Termination, Suspension & Dispute Resolution
• Subcontracting, Crew Substitution & Continuity

• Post-Job Performance Review
• Safety & HSE After-Action Review
• Lessons Learned & Continuous Improvement Workshop
• Commercial Closeout & Contract Lessons
• Customer Handoff & Ongoing Support Rhythm

• Draft proposed contract clause edits and circulate to legal and commercial teams for approval.
• Schedule and deliver targeted refresher training or toolbox talks for identified competency gaps within two weeks.
• Update permit and checklist templates and route for HSE approval.
• Pre-work Review & Top Issues
• Produce a prioritized continuous-improvement backlog with owners, timelines, and measurable success criteria.
• Agree on pilots to validate high-impact improvements before broad rollout.
• Create a mechanism to capture incremental lessons during future jobs (live backlog updates).
• Document all lessons learned in the canonical template and publish to the shared channel within 5 business days.
• Assign owners and target dates for top 5 improvement items and add them to the Continuous Improvement backlog.
• Define pilot measurement plan (metrics, duration, success thresholds) and schedule pilot kickoff.
• Financial Reconciliation Summary
• Reach agreement on all financial reconciliations or document remaining disputed items with next steps.
• Capture contract lessons and propose specific clause edits to reduce future ambiguity.
• Define final sign-off authority and timelines for settlement.
• Issue final adjusted invoice or credit note with agreed settlement items within 7 business days.
• Welcome & Objectives
• Log unresolved disputes with owners and an escalation deadline.
• Shared Channel Setup & Protocols
• Establish the live shared channel with clear protocols and an assigned moderator.
• Agree a reporting cadence and dashboard owners for continuous KPI transparency.
• Define SLAs and the escalation path so both parties know how issues will be handled post-job.
• Schedule recurring governance meetings and confirm attendee ownership.
• Create the shared collaboration channel, invite agreed users, and publish channel protocols within 48 hours.
• Set up automated KPI dashboards and schedule recurring report distributions.
• Publish the documented SLAs and escalation contact list to the shared channel.
• Agree the quantified variance vs AFE (days and dollars) and record the official delta.
• Validate KPI measurements and reach consensus on what drove any under/over performance.
• Assign owners and timelines for corrective actions or confirmation steps.
• Schedule any required technical or executive follow-up meetings.
• Produce and circulate a formal post-job KPI variance report showing AFE vs actual with financial impact, due in 3 business days.
• Assign owners for each identified root cause and set target dates for mitigation actions.
• Schedule a focused engineering/ops session if unresolved technical causes remain.
• HSE Summary & Metrics
• Close out incident investigations or identify required steps to close them within a defined timeframe.
• Agree a prioritized set of safety actions with owners and verification criteria.
• Update the HSE playbook with any required procedure or checklist changes.
• Publish finalized incident reports with root-cause analysis and corrective actions to the shared channel within 48 hours.
• AFE vs Actual Timeline
• Structured Root-Cause Analysis (Breakouts)
• Incident & Near-Miss Deep Dives
• Reporting Cadence & Dashboards
• Claims & Change Orders Review
• Liquidated Damages / Incentives
• Solution Brainstorming
• Issue Escalation & SLA Definitions
• Effectiveness of Mitigations Taken
• KPI Dashboard Deep-Dive
• Recurring Governance Meetings
• Offset-Well Performance Comparison
• Prioritization & Cost-Benefit
• Training & Competency Gaps
• Contract Language & Process Improvements
• Onboarding & Access
• HSE Process & Documentation Updates
• Sign-offs & Escalation Path
• Backlog Creation & Roadmap
• Root-Cause Summary for Major Variances
• Safety Actions Sign-Off
• Pilot & Validation Plan
• Close & Immediate Next Steps